Rise to the Occasion: ED 101 From hims

Men's wellness brand hims is rising to the occasion. Literally. Created by founder Andrew Dudum, the online and mobile platform dispels myths about erectile dysfunction and offers sensible, easy-to-understand insights and treatment options for a condition that affects a staggering number of men.

No longer in the shadows, hims proudly puts ED front and center as part of a holistic approach to men's health and well being.

Can you clarify the symptoms of erectile dysfunction versus just having an "off" night?

The biggest factors to consider is the onset of the ED (gradual over the course of months to years) versus sudden (over the course of days-months). The latter of which would be closer to having an "off" night, which can be caused by excessive alcohol use or psychological disturbances, such as depression or stress.

Most men aren't aware that there might be serious underlying risk factors that contribute to ED. Can you address some of the most prominent signs and what actions men might consider taking to help remedy the causes of ED?

ED can be caused by a number of different things. Depression, stress, physical deconditioning, low testosterone are to name a few as they are some of the more common ones.

The absolute best thing to do is to keep tabs on your health by following up with your primary care physician. He or she would be able to perform the necessary evaluation and testing done to determine what it is that is causing and would, therefore, be able to manage those various causes most effectively.

hims' online shop offers sildenafil (Viagra) as a means to address ED. How does it work and what are the key factors that potential users should know about using it?

Sildenafil works by opening up some of the blood vessels in the penis allowing it to engorge more fully. It takes about one hour to begin seeing the effects and it can last as long as three to five hours, which may also depend on the level of sexual stimulation (mentally and physically).

The most common side effects can be dizziness and headaches. Why? Because it works by opening up blood vessels down there, there may not be enough blood flow going to other areas of your body, such as your head. That's why it's very important that you consult a doctor before taking it and inform him/her of any and all medicines that you take.

(Source:hims)

Can you explain the "half-life" of ED medication?

It's basically a measurement of the time it takes for the body to remove a given concentration of a chemical in the body by half. For example, if you take Sildenafil now it would take an hour to absorb - then your body will start metabolizing it and in four hours just half of that medicine will still be active in your body, and in eight just one-quarter of the medicine will be left.

The longer the half-life, the longer than chemical is active in the body before it's broken down by its various metabolic processes.

Should there be concerns about combining Sildenafil with other drugs and/or alcohol?

Because Sildenafil was originally designed to be a type of blood pressure medication, one should be particularly careful about combining it with other blood pressure medications. This is especially true for nitrates.

Why is this an issue? Because taking too many blood pressure medications could cause one's blood pressure to drop too low. The symptoms would be dizziness, confusion, passing out, to name just a few.

Alcohol can worsen ED. Using both alcohol along side Sildenafil may require the patient to take a bigger dose than is necessary to achieve the same effect had one been sober.